


Home Bound

by Ayuneee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Team Voltron Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8491744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayuneee/pseuds/Ayuneee
Summary: Inspired by @lordzuuko's Voltron Family AU + Shieth LDR AU. Though apologies, I didn't really follow the specifics on lordzuuko's LRD post on tumblr. °^° 
In this fic, Shiro and Keith are married dorks. They have adopted Hunk, Lance, and Pidge (ages 6, 6, and 5, respectively). Set in a modern AU where Shiro is an engineer and Keith is a university physics professor.





	1. Far Away

"Keith", Allura's voice was hushed, muffled by the sound of a busy crosswalk, "It's probably nothing. Like I said, I just saw him walk by and he was just chatting with, I think, one of his colleagues." 

On the other end of the line, Keith stayed silent, not wanting his friend to notice how much he is worrying about this matter. "Yeah, I know. It's just—it's hard to deal with this right now. I don't know what to think, let alone what to feel. I guess I'm just being a brat, even at this age. Plus, the distance isn't helping it." Keith ran his hand through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips. He kept his eyes closed, his brows furrowed.

Allura was about to cross the street but got cut off by a car. A loud honk could be heard over the phone. "Shit. Oh sorry, that wasn't meant for you, Keith. Anyway, try not to think too much about it, okay? Now I feel bad telling you about it, but my hands were faster than my brain and I just called you as soon as I saw them." 

Keith managed a small laugh, "No, it's okay. Thanks for thinking of me", not that Keith was entirely grateful, though.

"Well, I gotta go now. It's almost time for my appointment and it's probably late there, and I know you have work tomorrow. Just go to sleep and say hi to the kids for me, okay? I heard Pidge won an award at school so give her a hug, too." 

"Sure. I will. Take care." And the line was cut off.

Keith took a long drawn out sigh, and stretched his arms. He looked at his phone, it was one o'clock in the morning. While he wouldn't have minded Allura's call, it would have been better left in the morning after getting some proper rest. He knew it would be hard to get back to sleep so he was mentally preparing himself to be a zombie at work later today. And not only that, but the reason for the call bothered him the most. 

\--------

Keith and Shiro had been married for seven years already, but they had already been a couple for ten. In the ten years that they have been together, this was the longest that they weren't together physically. Due to Shiro's excellence at being an engineer, he was sent to a one-year overseas project by his company. In the beginning, Keith hated the idea of being separated, but he knew Shiro had to do this for his family. After all, they are already a family of five: after adopting Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, just over three years ago. He knew he had to toughen up because the kids were already devastated by the news that their "Daddy Shiro" was going to a far away place for a long time. Pidge wouldn't even let go of Shiro's pants the day they sent him off to the airport. Even Lance and Hunk were pretty emotional then. 

It's been four months shince Shiro got relocated, and Keith has been struggling everyday, both physically and mentally, to cope with not having his husband by his side. Juggling work and taking care of the kids and the household did not seem to be hard at first, but it got exhausting eventually. Keith was having an even tougher time after knowing that Lance was constantly getting into fights at school. He honestly had no idea as to what a six-year-old could possibly get into so many fights for, and Keith wished that Shiro was by his side to help him get through this. His work was also demanding a lot from him, with deadlines, exam week, and daily lesson plans looming over his already busy schedule.

But what hurts Keith the most is the fact that Shiro has been too busy the past few weeks to even give them a call. He understands that his husband is working on a big project and that he is probably exhausted beyond belief as well. But he couldn't help but feel disappointed when Shiro would just send him half-hearted replies, and miss their Skype dates. The kids have been looking forward to talking with Shiro, but eventually got disheartened after their Daddy kept breaking promises. Pidge even muttered an "I don't care, I just want Daddy to come home" when Keith asked her what she wanted as a prize for being 'Most Creative' in class. 

"I know, honey, but Daddy needs to finish his work there. He'll come home once he's done", Keith ruffled her hair.

"But that's what you said last time! When is he really going home?" Tears were starting to well up in Pidge's eyes.

"Papa, is Daddy really coming back here? What if... What if he likes it there like we like it here and never come back?" Keith turned around and saw Hunk clutching his toy car. Lance was quiet beside Hunk, eyes looking at the ground. It was obvious that he was fighting his tears.

"What the— come here," Keith sighed, and both Hunk and Lance went over beside Pidge. Keith looked at them briefly and gave them a big bear hug. 

"Who said that Daddy was never coming back? Of course he is, how could he just leave us when he loves us all so much!" Keith tightened his hug, and all three kids giggled in response. 

"You just have to trust Daddy, okay? He's just really busy with work and all, we can't be too selfish to try and take up all his time for ourselves! How about we all write down what we want to say to Daddy, and I'll send it off in an email later?"

"Okay!" The kids all said in unison before each running off to their respective rooms to write up their thoughts.

 _That's right. Just trust him, Keith._ He muttered to himself. _He's coming back to you for sure. He always does._

\-------

But the days passed by and Keith haven't heard much from Shiro. Even the long email he sent off the other day with the kids' message for him was only responded with by a short and curt "Thanks, tell them I love them, too." Keith was growing weary and angry—the kids put their hearts and thoughts into writing their messages and that was all Shiro said? He knew there was probably a reason behind it, that Shiro must have glanced over the email in the middle of work and typed out that response in a haste to get it over with. But the kids were expecting more than a seven-word reply, so he had to make things up when they asked what their Daddy had said. 

Keith lay in his bed, tired and sleepy, but Allura's call was still keeping him awake. She had apparently seen Shiro walk into a classy hotel with a younger, female colleague. Laughing and chatting merrily, even. He knew it was probably a business meeting of some sorts, and that Shiro would never have an affair. It was not right to doubt his husband, but what should he have felt after hearing that? What disappointed him the most was that Shiro couldn't even be bothered to reply to his texts and calls, but he could spend that time chatting with a colleague. He felt bad for being angry, but Keith had been longing for Shiro ever since he left. His emotional pillar was gone, and he was left to fight off his interal demons by himself. He just wasn't used to this. He never wanted to feel this lonely and helpless again, and he thought Shiro would be able to save him from his constant emotional breakdowns. 

Keith thought against it, but still grabbed his phone and dialed Shiro's number. It rang for a while, and he was about to give up when the call connected.

"H-Hello?" Shiro's voice was hurried, panting. "Keith? Why are you calling at this hour? Isn't it one in the morning there? I'm pretty busy here, can we talk later?"

Keith blinked a few times, initially surprised that Shiro answered the call but he was annoyed but what his husband had said. Fighting back tears, Keith muttered, "I haven't even said anything and you want to cut me off right away. Fine then, bye." 

"Hey, hey, wait! Baby, I'm sorry, but I just really need to finish this work as soon as I can. Mr. Coran wants the blueprints by end of today." Shiro sounded desperate.

"It's totally fine. Work hard. I'm going to sleep." He didn't even wait for a reply and cut off the call abruptly. There he was, a grown man with three kids, sulking like a child who's toy got taken away. Despite his irritation, Keith was actually glad he got to hear Shiro's voice albeit a short while. He pulled the blankets over him and closed his eyes. Hunk's snore could be heard from his room across the hall, and it seems to help Keith relax. 

He felt his phone vibrate, and read the following text message:

_"Shiro loves you, baby. You know that, right? Let's talk later."_

Keith scoffed, throwing his phone to the side and went under the blanket again. 


	2. Thinking of You

_"Shit. What the hell did I do now?"_ Shiro groaned, half-tired, half-angry at himself for his behaviour towards Keith. He leaned back on his chair and looked out the window. There was a light drizzle that started, the kind that would only get one damp if they stood outside longer than necessary. Despite that, people were still shuffling around, seeking shelter. He was always fascinated with watching how people react to certain things, and how they behave towards each other. He was kind of glad he chose this quaint coffee shop to finish up some plans before heading home. He liked the feeling of seeing people, especially families with young children, as they reminded him of his own little family back home.

Shiro turned away from the glass window. Cupping his face in both his hands, Shiro managed a deep sigh before placing his full attention to the blueprint in front of him. He was racking his brain trying to figure out Keith's behaviour during the call a while ago, but unfortunately every single one of his brain cells were devoted to his current project. He looked at his watch: 2:15 PM. He still has four hours until submission time. He absent-mindedly reached for his coffee cup, only to find it nearly empty.

"Need a refill on that?"

"!" Shiro turned around at the familiar voice.

"I saw you when I passed by outside and waved at you, but I guess you didn't notice" Allura stood tall, wearing a thin light blue wool trench coat that had some water droplets on them. She had called Keith earlier, and decided to make a little detour to follow Shiro before her appointment. She smiled at Shiro, handing him a fresh cup of black coffee. "You were staring at that blueprint with such a serious expression that I thought you were going to start making out with it."

Shiro snorted, and gestured for Allura to sit in front of him. "You and your remarks. What are you doing here, half-way around the world?"

"For work, obviously. Coran asked me if I could talk to our clients regarding some legal matters," She shrugged. "Besides, I heard interesting stories about Japan and I wanted to see the place for myself." 

" _He had the nerve to ask the heir to the Altea Corporation to do field work?_ I thought you only like to work in the comforts of your own home office." 

"No, goodness, I'm not as sheltered and spoiled as you think I am. In any case, I haven't been to the office yet to introduce myself to the staff. Mind helping me out when I go there tomorrow?" Allura said, taking a sip of her coffee after. "By the way, Shiro, Keith's really worried about you. I don't know what's going on with you, but he said you've been practically MIA the past few weeks. Your kids are worried, too. Work is important but you have to think about who you're doing all this for." Allura stared at Shiro's face for a few seconds, the look of concern painted on her face.

Shiro, seemingly unsurprised, gave a small smile. "Yeah, I know. But I have my own reasons, too." His eyes went back to the blueprint. 

Allura started to get up from her chair. "You better think about this properly. But that doesn't mean that I want to lose a valuable employee, though. I still need you here, until this project is done. Well then, bye Shiro, I'll see you at the office tomorrow." She grabbed her coffee cup and started for the door. 

Shiro knew that he was being unfair to Keith. That's probably why he acted that way towards Shiro during the call. But he was determined to finish this project, so he tried to shake these thoughts away. It was hard, being away from his family, and every day seemed to drag and made him all the more impatient to get back home. He misses his kids, his husband, their life together. Each day, Shiro fought the idea of buying a plane ticket and abandoning his work. He wanted to come back to Keith -- to hug him tight, to bury his face in the nook of his husband's neck, to grab him by the waist so that they can be closer, bodies crashing against each other. He wanted to run his hands through Kieth's hair, to slowly tug at it when the kiss would go deep and drive him off the edge. He wanted to hear Keith's hushed moans while he plants kisses from his neck up to his mouth, slowing the movements down to a pace where they could still stop to think about the location and look around to see if the kids are nearby. Feeling his chest tighten and a familiar heat rising from his stomach, Shiro downed the now cooled coffee in one go, as his last ditched effort in trying not to get a hard-on in public. 

"Let's get back to work now," Shiro muttered to himself. "Let's think about Keith later."

He grabbed a pen and started to make notes. 

Just then, his colleague Cindy took the seat in front of him, bringing two cups of coffee and a donut with her. "Here you go, another cup. I thought I'd buy it for you on my way back. The boutique here was packed!" She was curious about the small botique selling souvenirs across the coffee shop, and decided to take a peek before starting on her work.

"Hmm, yeah." Shiro didn't bother looking up. "Thanks, but I've had a refill already."

"What? Come on, Shiro, it's rare that we are able to get out of the office! Who knew this hotel had this lovely coffee shop in it? Their lattes are wonderful, I should recommend it to Mr. Coran next time." Cindy cheerfully babbled on. 

"Sure, you go do that. But first, let's finish this, okay?" Shiro handed her a stack of files that needed to be reviewed. 

"Stingy," Cindy said, pouting. But she sensed that Shiro wasn't in a joking mood so she dropped the conversation and started to rifle through the files.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published this chapter on another site but since I do my own proofreading, I found some plot mistakes and so I decided to edit this chapter (just small details, really)


	3. Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's still somewhat 'busy'. Keith gets distracted, still worried. The kids work as a team and show their concern over Keith.

"Papa. _Papa_!" Keith was staring off into space when he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned towards Hunk, who was visibly worried, and a teary-eyed Pidge hiding behind her older brother.  
  
"What is it, bud?"  
  
"Well, you see," Hunk paused and looked at Pidge for a brief moment. "We were playing around and copying these moves we saw on the cartoon this afternoon--"  
  
"Oh, that Voltron thing?"  
  
"Yeah! And, uhm... see I got spooked by Pidge 'cause she suddenly bit me saying she was the green lion!"  
  
"Only 'cause you said I can be!" Pidge retorted, then hid behind her brother even further.  
  
"And then, uhm, we didn't notice your cup and bumped into it and it crashed and we didn't catch it and it fell!" Hunk said in a hurried voice. "That brown stuff you drink fell on the laptop..."  
  
"It-- WHAT?! Hunk, I told you _not_ to play around in my office!" Keith lept from his seat and rushed over to his office, where, indeed his laptop had been dowsed with coffee. Lance was desperately trying to wipe off the laptop but he's doing more damage to it than anything else.  
  
Keith had been working on his exam draft before he decided to take a break and try to watch TV. He was too distracted over worrying about Shiro that none of the shows he was watching made sense, to which he eventually zoned out of. He didn't even notice the kids playing around. He yanked the laptop from Lance, and tried to wipe it himself. He took out the battery and looked to see if the coffee went inside the compartment. Thankfully, it didn't.  
  
"I'm-- s-sorry, Papa, w-we won't do it again!" Pidge blurted out in between sobs. As if on cue, both Hunk and Lance also bursted into tears, clinging onto Keith's shirt as if for dear life.  
  
"It wasn't Pidge's fault, Papa! Me and Hunk were running! We bumped it! It was me!" Lance said, unaware of the inconsistency of his words. All three kids then started to take the blame for their siblings, clinging onto Keith much more.  
  
Keith sighed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with all this. He was exhausted with work, and now he has to make sure that he backed up all his data somewhere, and also see if the laptop  is still functional. His patience wasn't the greatest today and he was wondering if the gods were testing it right now. He knows the kids didn't mean to do it. But somehow, and he does not know why, but he was looking for something to blame. He knew it wouldn't be right to blame the kids, and he actually does feel proud that they knew how to own up to their mistakes. He then decided that it was his inattention that led up to this situation, and that he needed to pay more attention to the kids instead of focusing on worrying over Shiro.  
  
"This is just too much," he said quietly. "You three, let's just go back to your rooms and get ready to sleep, 'kay?" He lifted Pidge up and kissed her forehead, and patted both Hunk and Lance on their heads.  
  
Pidge, calmer now, hugged Keith's neck. "You're not angry, Papa?"  
  
"Well, things happen, right? It was an accident and you didn't mean it. Papa will fix the laptop tomorrow so it should be okay."  
  
"But then how are we gonna talk to Daddy? If you don't fix it we can't talk to him!" Lance said, finally revealing the reason why they were frantic about the whole situation.  
  
Keith smiled. "We can always just use the phone, right? You know how to do it. Just dial #2 and that's going to connect to him." Keith said. But he wasn't sure when they would be able to call him again. It had also been a week since _he_  last talked to Shiro-- the latter didn't even followed up on his last text as promised, and Keith didn't push the matter again. He was just trying to make Shiro feel a little bit of what he was feeling, and ignoring any chances of connecting with each other. This was his way of sulking, and he wasn't proud to stoop to childish ways but he didn't know how else to express his disatisfaction towards Shiro. Allura, however, had been keeping in contact with him, and sends him any updates on Shiro whenever she can. Nothing much has changed though, only that his husband's been rather busy (and that's an understatement) these days, trying to pacify the demands of a ruthless employer (aka HER) to finish the job. The thing with the female co-worker was no longer an issue; indeed, she was just a colleague that was rather touchy-feely with others. Shiro had been very vocal about being married, wearing his wedding band all the time, and spends little time interacting with others if it didn't involve work. However, Allura had mentioned about Shiro leaving work to attend to matters she had no idea what for, and haven't had the chance to ask about. Of course, Keith has no idea either.  
  
After tucking the kids in, Keith went to his own room, and laid with his back on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, his body started to relax and because of sheer exhaustion, he slowly drifted off to sleep. He was there, splayed out in his bed, no blanket on, and not in his pyjamas. But he didn't care. He needed to rest and his body felt incredibly heavy. So he did.  
  
\---  
  
"Okay, let's go!" Lance said, jumping out of his bed and landing with a muffled thud on the floor.  
  
"Shh! Be quiet, Lance! You'll wake up Papa Keith!" Pidge said, in a muffled voice. She followed Lance, who was tip-toeing quite dramatically towards the living room. "Are you sure you saw Papa's phone on the kitchen table?"  
  
"Yes, Pidge! Stop asking! You asked lots now!" Lance sounded slightly annoyed. "Where's Hunk? Hey, Hunk, where are you?" Lance didn't quite understand the concept of stealth at this point, trying to find out where his brother is.  
  
Pidge shook her head, clearly the patience of a 5-year-old isn't the best. Then she saw Hunk coming out of the master bedroom, walking gingerly as he closed the door quietly behind him. "There he is! Is he sleeping?"  
  
"SHHHH! Be quiet!" Hunk said, making Pidge clasp her hand to her mouth. "Papa's asleep! Coastslear!* Let's go! Do you have the phone?"  
  
"I got it! Told you it was on the kitchen table." Lance hurried over to where his siblings were, and the three shuffled towards their room, closing the door shut. They then huddled over, with Lance dialing, while Pidge and Hunk waiting impatiently, leaning their ears closer to the phone. After a few rings, Shiro answered the call.  
  
"Keith?" This sounded kind of like a deja vu moment.  
  
"Daddy!" The three excitedly said. "Daddy!" They repeated.  
  
Shiro got surprised by the sudden phone call from his kids. Surprised, but greatly appreciated and touched. "My babies! How are you guys? Daddy misses you so much. But why are you using Papa's phone? Where is Papa?"  
  
Then the three proceeded to (simultaneously) tell Shiro what happened today. Shiro couldn't help but laugh at how the kids fought over who gets to tell him the story. There was a lot of bickering, and ' _SHHH YOU'RE TOO LOUD_ ', and ' _Daddy can you hear me_ ' from the three that Shiro felt a bit of pain at not being able to be with them in person.  
  
Shiro cleared his throat. "So, you mean to say, Papa's laptop is broken now and he needs a new one?" Shiro laughed lightly.  
  
"Yes Daddy, please! Papa needs a new one!" Pidge said.  
  
"You gotta buy him a new one Daddy! I know you can. Please?" Lance insisted.  
  
"Papa always looks happy when he sees you in the laptop, Daddy. But only when you call. When you don't, he feels sad." Hunk said, pouting. "Please buy him a new one Daddy! So you can call him and see him again, then we'll see him smile again!"  
  
Shiro felt guilty after hearing the kids' concern over Keith. It was a proud moment for him, though, and he wished Keith knew how much their kids love him. It showed how much the kids had grown into siblings, and despite not being blood-related, how the five of them had grown into a family. He wanted to be there to hug them and show them how much he was glad and proud of each of them. He felt even more determined to finish work and be home with them soon.  
  
"No problem, kiddos! Of course Daddy will buy your Papa a new laptop. But it has to wait until I get back. In the meantime, try not to mess around in Papa's office, okay? We don't want to interrupt his work more than this," Shiro said.  
  
He heard a collective 'Yes, Daddy! Thank you!' and he smiled at how cute his children are. "Okay loves, Daddy has to go back to work now, so I have to hang up soon. Miss you, and I love you all so much. Behave, okay? Both Papa and Daddy are busy, so please be patient with us," Shiro finished with some smooches over the phone for the three.  
  
"None for Papa?" Hunk asked.  
  
"Then, can you three give him a kiss in place of me please?"  
  
"Yes!" the three exclaimed. Then they hung up and shuffled towards Keith's room, giggling amongst themselves.  
  
The kids then climbed over Keith's bed and gave him smooches over both his cheeks, hugging him, too. Keith got startled, but welcomed the gesture nonetheless.  
  
"What's up you guys? Am I getting some sort of special treatment today? And I thought I already put you to bed!" Keith smiled, giving the kids each a kiss on their cheeks.  
  
Hunk, Pidge, and Lance all looked at each other and all said: "Daddy told us to give you kisses!"  
  
Keith looked confused, then noticed the phone in Lance's hand. He figured that the kids had called Shiro, probably still worried about what happened today. He was touched at the gesture, and gave his kids a big hug.  
  
"Thank you, my babies. You made Papa happy. I love you." He squeezed. The kids giggled.  
  
"How about let's all sleep together? Go get your pillows and blanket, buds." Then all three ran up to their rooms excitedly to get their pillows.   
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... still haven't revealed the reason why Shiro's been busy! Sorry, was going for angst this chapter but I thought maybe to show how the kids' love for their Papa Keith instead. The kids are too cute- I want them happy all the time. So proud of them for admitting their mistakes! 
> 
> (Hunk's 'Coastslear' is obviously because he's only 6 and that's how he heard it being said on TV.)


	4. Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro faces a really challenging situation; he's never been this nervous or scared at all in his life.

Shiro gathered some scattered files on his desk, straightened them out before filing them in a brown envelope. He was alone in his office, and it was already 10:00pm. He thought he'd be burning the midnight oil tonight but turns out that dividing his workload over a week provided him some rest period before the deadline. However, he was still tired, and took his last sip of coffee before  throwing the cup in the trash bin. He took his coat off the hanger, grabbed his briefcase and train pass before heading out the door. As soon as he swung the door open, he heard a yelp. Turns out he almost hit someone with the door.  
  
"Hey, you on a hurry or what?" Allura said, annoyed because she almost spilled the two cups of coffee she had with her. "Wait- are you already on your way out? And here I was, kind enough to bring you some coffee to help you wake up."  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was actually going to drop by your office before heading out. I need to talk to you about something," Shiro said, shutting the door behind him.   
  
Allura raised her eyebrow at the seriousness of Shiro's tone. She thought he would talk about work matters but he could have easily sent her an email if that was the case. She shifted her foot and headed towards her office, which was only three doors away from Shiro's. "Okay, then let's go to my office first. This coffee is hot and my hands are burning," she noticed how Shiro didn't even laugh or react to her usual witty remark, but he did follow her to her office.   
  
They both took a spot around the small coffee table in the side of the room, as Allura had thought that maybe Shiro needed to talk to her as a friend rather than as his employer. "Okay, Shiro, what did you want to talk about?" Allura relaxed in her seat.   
  
Shiro shifted in his, and looked Allura in the eyes. "I need to know if you know anybody in the police station or census or realtors or whatever, from Osaka. I just need to find someone."   
  
Allura blinked. "Hmm. That's a tough question. I don't think I know anybody from Osaka that works in any of those that you've mentioned. What is this about?"   
  
"Then... let me have at least two days-- no, make it three days off, starting tomorrow. I want to at least get this done before the site visit next week." Shiro asked.   
  
"You do know we still have a ton of work to do, right, Shirogane? Unless of course you've managed to finish your work, then that's a different deal."  
  
"I think I have, and besides, I already sent the files over to Mr. Coran this afternoon. All that's left is for him to review them and he could always send his questions by email. I have everything prepared for the site visit, too." Shiro insisted. "Just, let me have this please. You've been working me like a slave ever since you had me transfer here." Shiro finally managed a small laugh.   
  
"Fine," Allura scoffed, her tone taking on a playful one. "Take as many days as you want. As long as you'd be back here before next Wednesday. I know the site visit isn't until Friday, but I want you here for the safety meeting." Allura smiled at Shiro, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
"Thanks, this means a lot," Shiro returned the smile, and stood up to leave.   
  
"You're never gonna tell me what this is about, huh? I won't have anything to report to Keith then."   
  
Shiro stopped and turned towards Allura, "This is the only thing I don't want you to mention to him yet. Please, Allura." And he turned and started for the door.   
  
\----

It was 7:00am and Shiro stood waiting the the platforms for the 7:10am _Shinkansen_ to Osaka. It would only take a couple of hours to get to Osaka from Tokyo, and that's why he opted for this mode of transportation compared to driving. He wanted to get a headstart and make his few precious days off worth it. While waiting, he noticed a couple of ladies (most likely young housewives) looking at him and giggling amongst themselves. He wasn't aware, but he was definitely attracting attention from the people surrounding him. He was wearing a dark suit that hugged his frame handsomely, and a black coat that hung from his shoulders that seem to be tailor-made. His bangs were slightly swept back, revealing a very attractive face; the scar on his nose seemed to accentuate his attractiveness, instead of defiling it. Keith had always been vocal about how handsome he thinks Shiro is, but the latter felt bashful everytime his husband would gush over him like that. Therefore, he would just go on about his day normally, not knowing how many hearts he'd managed to break on a day-to-day basis.   
  
The train arrived, and upon boarding, he found his seat and relaxed into it. He had a purpose for this trip, and was writing down notes on his small pocket notebook about where he would start to go first, in order to find what he was looking for. He was working hard the past few months in order to have the chance to do this, even at the expense of disappointing his family in order to do so. He knew Keith is upset but he knows his husband is not shallow, but instead, is strong enough to handle challenges like this. After all, Keith wasn't the only one struggling with this kind of set up. It's just that, despite growing up with two other siblings, Shiro was used to doing things on his own. He grew up with the mindset that he should continue to work hard and never look back on his decisions, but trust that his family will support him 100%, because that's how he and his siblings were raised. Keith, however, who grew up practically by himself, had been independent and never needed anybody to help him fulfill his goals. That is, not until Shiro came to the picture. Now that he knows the feeling of someone supporting him by his side, he longs for it-- craves for it. Because Shiro had been the only one to do it wholeheartedly and honestly. And Shiro knew that, and that's why knowing Keith is hurt, also hurts him tenfold.   
  
It all began when he overheard the name "Kogane" on his visit to Kyoto for a meeting with the company's environmental researchers, about three months ago. He was having a quick lunch in one of the small ramen shops near the train station, and had heard two men, possibly in their late fifties, talking about a recently retired colleague. The two men were in the table opposite Shiro.   
  
"So, is Kogane going to attend Akihito's retirement party?" One of the men said.   
  
"He should! He is Akihito's childhood friend, and he even came home from the States to attend his wedding before. He's been back here in Japan for almost a decade now, so it shouldn't be hard for him to go," the other man laughed.   
  
"Well, somebody should be able to tell him that, right? Where does he live now? In Tokyo?"  
  
"No, I heard somewhere in Osaka, maybe. And the party isn't until a few months from now, since Akihito needs to finish his contract first," the man mused.   
  
Shiro had thought about standing up and approaching the two men to ask about this 'Kogane' person, but was stopped when one of the researchers saw him and invited himself to his table to eat. Next thing he knew, the two men had left and Shiro didn't even manage to talk to them.  
  
\---  
  
After arriving at Osaka, Shiro set out for the police station first to ask about a Kazuo Kogane who possibly lived in Osaka. The policeman in the the station was kind enough to help him out, as the man was widely known in the area as being the best knifemaker in the prefecture. He was even given the address, and he immediately left to find the place.

Shiro got out of the taxi and stood in front of a traditional Japanese-style house. The front gate was taller than him, made of a sturdy material, surrounded by tall bamboo fences. He coughed a few times, adjusting his tie, and making sure that he looked presentable. He brought with him a bottle of expensive Japanese sake, and a box of traditional Japanese delicasies. His hands were shaking as he pressed on the door bell by the gate. Nobody answered. After a few minutes, he rang the bell again. He then heard sounds of _geta_ clogs quickly shuffling on what sounded like patio blocks. The gate opened suddenly, revealing a woman in her fifties, with jet black hair that fell on her shoulders, and a face that didn't seem to reflect the effects of time. The woman looked up to him, and gave him a warm smile.   
  
"Yes? How may I help you, young man?" She spoke in English.   
  
"..." Shiro was shocked speechless, and stood in place, suddenly feeling shy towards her.  
  
"Oh! Do you not understand English? I'm sorry!" The woman was flustered, muttering things in Nihongo. "But he definitely looked like a foreigner..."  
  
Shiro smiled, "Oh no, no, I am fluent in English and Japanese, but I prefer English for now. My name is Takashi Shirogane, ma'am. Are you possibly Etsuko Kogane-san?" He tightened his grip on the paper bag handle, bracing himself for her answer.  
  
"Takashi Shirogane...?" The woman stared at Shiro, as if trying to remember where she had heard the name. She then noticed that she was staring, and got even more flustered. "Oh, dear, pardon my staring. But yes, I am Etsuko. I don't believe I've met you from somewhere, but what could possibly be your reason for this visit? Or are you here for my husband? He's currently attending a friend's retirement party and won't be available until tomorrow, but you can come in and look at his knife designs in the forge." The woman said, gesturing for Shiro to follow her inside the house.   
  
Shiro followed obediently, and was led to a small room where the couple accepted clients. Shiro saw a couple magazines highlighting the specific forge that he was currently waiting in. He sat down in one of the chairs, and placed his gifts in front of him while Etsuko made some tea for both of them. When she came back, she had a cup of tea for both of them, as well as a piece of paper and pen.   
  
"Here are gifts for you and your husband, ma-am," Shiro said, offering his gifts.   
  
"Oh my! Thank you very much Shirogane-san," Etsuko said, accepting the gifts. "You must be a well-known chef or knife collector from somewhere? We get clients like you all the time." She smiled at Shiro again.   
  
Shiro coughed, adjusting himself so he is seated more formally. "Etsuko Kogane-san, I would like to introduce myself again. My name is Takashi Shirogane, and..." he paused. "...and I am Keith's husband." He was bowing at Etsuko, eyes closed and ready for any violent reactions. After a good few minutes of silence, he heard a soft sob, and looked up to see Etsuko dabbing at her eyes, obviously tearing up.   
  
"Are you telling me the truth? Are you really Keith's husband? You mean to say, he is living happily with someone he loves?"   
  
Shiro bowed his head again. "Yes, ma'am. Keith and I have been together for ten years now. We have been married for seven years already, and we have three beautiful children that we have adopted two years ago." He swallowed, feeling his throat becoming rather dry. "I apologize for not introducing myself to you earlier. I hope you forgive us."  
  
Etsuko put her hand under Shiro's chin, and gently motioned for him to raise his head to look her in the eyes. Shiro didn't know what Etsuko was feeling, and was too scared to ask. Then tears began to fall from her eyes, and she hugged Shiro tightly, which caught him by surprise.   
  
"My son is married and has children? I'm a grandmother now?" She cried. "My son is married!" She repeated.   
  
Shiro couldn't help the emotion that swept over him, and found himself tearing up at this exchange. He felt outmost acceptance from this woman, and half of his fears vanished with a single hug from her. Her hold tightened around him, as if clinging to him for life.   
  
After a few moments, Etsuko let go of Shiro, then held his hands as she asked about her son.   
  
"Is he doing well? How is he? Is he staying healthy, and does he have a job? He's always wanted to work in a school to teach. Did his dream come true? Does he eat well? How are my grandchildren? Are they still young?" Etsuko asked.  
  
Shiro chuckled. "Yes, ma'am, Keith is doing very well. He is now a university professor, teaching physics. The kids are all still young: Hunk and Lance are both 6 years old, while our daughter Pidge is five. We are all doing well, and make sure all of us are healthy and safe."   
  
Etsuko squeezed his hands. "I have so many things to ask but I don't know where and how to start. I feel ashamed that I didn't even know what was happening to my son, you know? It has been about eight years since I talked to him last."   
  
Shiro remembered the time Keith decided to come out to his parents and tell them about their relationship. They had been dating for nine months, and Shiro's family knew about them already. Keith thought it was only fair to introduce Shiro to his parents, but wanted to lessen the schock by coming out to them first. Keith and Shiro weren't necessarily gay to begin with, but had fallen in love with each other after being friends and becoming close to each other during their early university days. Keith had thought that his parents would accept his situation, but after he revealed his secret, he was kicked out of their house. His father didn't take it lightly, and was enraged that his only son was seeing another man. His mother wasn't able to do anything, crying as she watched Keith gather his belongings and leave the house afterwards. Keith had gone directly to Shiro's apartment after that, and he held Keith as he cried himself to sleep that night. It hurt Shiro to even remember how devastated Keith was during those times. They had almost broken up due to Keith blaming himself for being his parents' 'disappointment', becoming recluse and depressed because of it. Shiro had helped Keith overcome his sadness by providing him with genuine love and support, their relationship growing stronger and their love deeper each day.   
  
"Keith doesn't know that you moved back to Japan, ma'am. It was only by chance that I had heard about your husband and found myself here." Shiro admitted.   
  
"Just call me 'mom', dear." Etsuko said. "And I know he doesn't know we're here. But how could I tell him? I had no way of contacting him. We were still talking on the phone, until one day when I called him, and the call wouldn't connect. I had no other means to talk to him. I didn't even know where he was." She started to sob again.   
  
Shiro looked at her, then suddenly recalled the time that he took Keith mountain-climbing, and his phone fell off the cliff. They had to buy a new phone, and Keith couldn't recall his mother's phone number. Keith was still upset at his mother for not defending him when he was told to leave, so he did not even try to find out how to contact her again. Keith had told Shiro that is was 'a new start to a new life' and despite Shiro's pleas for Keith to contact his family again, the latter was not swayed.   
  
_'I thought my family loved me. But they couldn't even accept me-- accept YOU. How on earth will I be able to live when I know that my parents don't have the heart to love who I am and care for who I love? It hurts, Shiro, because nobody in this world will ever love me the same way you do. And i want them to know that and accept that, because you're the only one I want to be with in this life,_ ' Shiro recalls Keith's words to him that day.   
  
"I'm sorry, _mom_ ," he almost stuttered at the word, "but that time, Keith was struggling with his emotions. It took a while for him to be able to let go of his anger and sadness, and by the time he felt ready to talk to you again, we were told that you had moved from your house."  
  
"We had to move back here because my father collapsed, and we had to take care of him.

Kazuo, my husband, had already planned to move from our house, but the process got expedited because of the situation. I didn't even have enough time to look for Keith and let him know what was going on," Etsuko looked ashamed.   
  
As they were talking, he heard the sound of the gate opening and closing, and footsteps walking towards the _genkan_ area. They both stopped their conversation, and Etsuko rose to see who had arrived.   
  
Shiro was then faced with Kazuo Kogane.   
  
"Dear, I thought you were arriving tomorrow?" Etsuko said, as Kazuo handed her his bag and coat.   
  
"No, the party ended soon, and I have knives waiting in my workshop to be made. Oh? You didn't mention that we have a client here."   
  
Shiro stood up, nerves racking and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. This was the first time he would meet with Kazuo, and even though the older man was a few inches shorter than him, he felt trepidation at how he was looked at.   
  
Shiro bowed again, introducing himself. "Good afternoon, sir. My name is Takashi Shirogane, and I am Keith's husband." No amount of self-confidence made him ready for this kind of situation.   
  
Kazuo glared at him, his eyebrows furrowing. He approached Shiro with an air of indignation, and spoke in a deep voice. " _Who did you say you were?"_  
  
"I am your son's husband. I am married to Keith." _Great, Shiro, he's not stupid and you didn't have to say it like that._   
  
The older man paused, glared at his wife, then turned around to place his hand on Shiro's neck. Shiro was too slow to react, and found himself being held like that by Kazuo, his bak to the wall.   
  
**_"YOU DARE TO STEP FOOT IN MY HOUSE? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?_** " Kazuo roared.   
  
"Dear! Stop that!" Etsuko tried to take Kazuo's hand away from Shiro, but he was too strong for her.   
  
"Etsuko, stay away from this!" He said to her. Turning towards Shiro, who was in pain and struggling to get away from his grip, he said: "What is your business here?" He then let go of Shiro, who fell on the floor clutching his neck.   
  
"S-sir," Shiro said in between gasping for air and coughing, "I am here to formally introduce myself to you." He stood up straight.  
  
And the three of them went quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger time! I just kept writing and writing and didn't know where to cut this chapter at! (；￣Д￣)
> 
> I made up names for Keith's parents. Originally thought about using Sendak's name but it didn't sound appropriate at all. Sorry for the non-canon characters! 
> 
> Thanks for continuing to read this!


	5. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro is met face-to-face with the truth. But that doesn't faze him. 
> 
> Forgiveness truly is the attribute of the strong. 
> 
> Warning: Chapter contains implied homophobia. Well, I don't know if it really is that but ehh. Warned you anyways.

" _Fuck_ ," Kazuo muttered under his breath, knuckles straining against his skin as he clenched his fist by his side.   
  
Shiro remained standing, his breathing slowing down to its normal pace. The younger guy was clearly intimidated, but he already made up his mind to do this. Shiro loves Keith, and knew that his husband's strained relationship with his parents shouldn't be left as it is; he wanted Keith's loved ones to know that he's in this relationship for life, and that involves working hard to maintain a good relationship with the people important to Keith.   
  
"Dear," Etsuko approached Kazuo, her hands clasping his own, attempting to gently ease the tension. "Let's not hurt the boy anymore, and please, just hear him out. This is your son's husband. We should--"   
  
" _He's not even your son, Etsuko_ ," Kazuo spat each word through clenched teeth.   
  
Shiro knew the words weren't about him, but Keith. He stood in silence, shocked at the revelation. His eyes darted back and forth between the couple. The air in the room felt thicker, and in his confusion, he found it quite difficult to breathe. He wasn't the only one surprised by this, as he noticed Etsuko's eyes that were starting to tear up. Her expression was that of hurt and disappointment, and she suddenly yanked her hand off of Kazuo's. The older man didn't even flinch at the action, but his fists relaxed and his arms hung limp from his shoulders. He slowly raised his hand to his face, massaging his temples. He appeared somewhat regretful. Etsuko then took a step back at her husband, her tears finally streaming down her face. It hurt Shiro to look at her.   
  
"This is not the place for this kind of conversation," Kazuo started. He approached his wife, grabbing her hands in a desperate plea for her to remain by his side. It was a silent request; he needed to tell Shiro the truth. The perfect opportunity presented itself, and he wanted to take advantage of it. He tightened his grip on her hands. "Etsuko, meet us in the family room and bring new tea cups for us. I'm sorry." The last part was almost a whisper, but Shiro heard it as well.   
  
As Etsuko stepped out of the room, Kazuo turned to look at Shiro. "You. Follow me."  
  
Shiro was then taken to the family room, which was a bigger living room, but had a more private feel. He sat in one of the chairs as Kazuo instructed, but the tension in his shoulders never left him. Etsuko followed, carrying a tray with three tea cups and a pot of brewed tea, and sat by her husband.  
  
"What is your business here?" Kazuo repeated his earlier question.   
  
"I just wanted to meet you. I've never had the opportunity to do so, Sir. I wanted to let you know that your son is doing well, and I want to rebuild your relationship with him," Shiro said, his honesty resonating in his voice.   
  
"He is not my son," Kazuo said, gentler this time. He wasn't looking at Shiro, but instead his gaze was fixed on his wife. "We are not blood-related with Keith." He turned to Shiro.   
  
Shiro attempted to school his features. "What do you mean, Sir?"   
  
"Keith is our adopted son; he was the son of a good friend of mine who had already passed away." Kazuo reached to his side to hold Etsuko's hand.

"Keith... his birth name is Akira. Or at least, that was what his parents wanted his name to be. His father was my childhood friend. He was half-Japanese and half-American, which was quite uncommon back then. He was always alone, and I sought to provide him friendship, initially due to pity, but eventually we grew close as we had common interests and ideals," Kazuo paused to take a sip of tea, taking a moment to savor the taste.   
  
"We had different goals in life. I wanted to work in a forge and create knives as a career. He wanted to be a policeman, a man who lived upholding the law. As we followed our dreams, we stayed in touch because we worked at the same part-time job. Until one day, when he stopped coming to work, and I found out that he stopped coming to the police academy, as well," he sighed. "When I managed to contact him, all he said was that he had met a lady and fell in love with her. He was actively pursuing Keith's mother at the time. Little did I know that the woman he loved was a yakuza kumichou's precious daughter. And when I found out, I tried to talk him out of it. But it was too late. He was too in love to listen to reason. He failed to see the dark future ahead of him if he pursued this love; he was a man of the law, and she lived her whole life in the underworld. Her group was one of the most notorious and dangerous groups at the time and everyone feared them. _Except him_."   
  
Shiro relaxed his shoulders, easing into the conversation. He was intrigued by the flow of the story. He continued to listen.   
  
"A couple of years passed by after I gave him that stern warning, and I no longer heard from him. Until one night when he rushed over to out house carrying Keith in his arms. Apparently, he continued his relationship with that woman, despite the group threatening to kill him if he doesn't leave her. They both fought for their love, and the group eventually relented by allowing them to see each other, as long as she stays in the group. But that fool  got her pregnant."   
  
Kazuo stopped talking, his head bowed, hands in his face. He was clearly recalling that night with sadness and anger, the air deflating from his lungs in a deep, long sigh.   
  
"He got her pregnant," he continued. "After I told him it was dangerous to pursue her. But he got her pregnant and it killed her. She died giving birth to Keith due to complications, and her family obviously was outraged. He killed the one person he wanted to love and protect. _He killed the only person keeping him alive._ "  
  
"I was outraged. His life was in danger. And there he was, standing in our doorstep carrying the baby in his arms. He desperately pleaded for us to hide the baby and keep him safe from the group. He didn't want his son to live the life of a yakuza. Apparently they had planned on eloping and hiding somewhere far away from Tokyo. He left Keith with us, and never returned after that. Then I found out that he was caught by the group and killed."   
  
"I didn't know why he never introduced his lover to us, but then I understood. If, by any chance, the group would try to harm him, then they would never trace him back to us. We decided to escape from Tokyo then, moving to a small house in the countryside. Etsuko and I registered Keith as our son, and we made up excuses like giving birth at home or some sorts. And that's why he never got tracked down by the group."   
  
Kazuo then lifted his head to look at Shiro, his expression serious and eyes focused on the other man. He then continued,  
  
"Do you know why I got angry at Keith for saying that he was in a relationship with a man?"  
  
"N-no, Sir. That's what I'm trying to understand." Shiro gulped, nerves racking from the sudden attention.   
  
"Keith is my son. I never saw or treated him as anything other than that. But that night, he proved to me that he was as much a son of his father's as he was mine. His determination yielded to hard-headedness, and it was that same characteristic that scared me the most. I just wanted him to live a normal life: get married, have kids--"   
  
  
Shiro cut him off with a glare. _"But that's exactly what he has right now."_ He grit his teeth.  
  
Silence filled the room as the two men kept their eyes on each other. The tension in Shiro's shoulders came back, as anger in his core ignited from the simple fact that he wasn't able to understand what Keith's father was trying to explain. Or maybe it's that he wasn't even trying to understand. Shiro pursed his lips in a thin line, his eyes focused on Kazuo like a fighter attempting to calculate his opponent's next move.   
  
It was Kazuo who broke the silence. "Do you know the feeling of losing a good friend? What more if you tried to imagine losing a son? I gave him warning, the path he chose was not an easy one. Do you understand my fear of having my son ostracized by society just because he fell in love with a man? Do you understand that my fear for his father's life had been minute in comparison to my fear of Keith living a life completely being wary of his surroundings? He may not be dodging bullets and knives hiding from a yakuza group, but he would live his life always being wary of what people say about him, how he's being treated because of the choices he's made. And don't tell me you live a life as free as anybody; don't tell me you don't mind what people say about you. Society is still not as understanding as we want it to be yet. I raised that child -- gave him shelter, clothing, fed him, and loved him as my own. Do you think I wake up everyday happy that I lost him _this_ way?" Kazuo admitted. His last words said with sincerity, the utmost longing of a father to his son.   
  
Shiro knows too well about the fear of losing your child; after all, he has three. But what he doesn't understand is the reason why that fear should come in between the love of a father for his son, why this same fear yielded anger and resentment for a decision made with love in the very center of it.   
  
"I know what it means to live a life like ours. But that doesn't mean that I won't try to make it a life worth living," Shiro gulped, swallowing his bubbling anger. "Keith and I love each other. And that has never hindered us from living a respectable life. I know people are talking behind our backs. I know how they look at us, what they say about us. What they say about our family. But that... we always try not to focus on those."   
  
"I didn't like how I saw Keith's father in him. It brought back painful memories. It felt like I disappointed him by not protecting his son well," Kazuo's words reached Shiro, gentler this time. "I was more angry with myself because I thought that the same thing will happen to Keith, and that I'm powerless to do anything. Reason didn't reach him and we didn't meet eye to eye. But that doesn't mean I don't regret letting him go that night."   
  
Another period of silence.   
  
Then, Shiro stood up and did what he thought he wouldn't be able to do: he went down on his knees, bent his body forward, and bowed with his forhead on the ground. He stayed like that for a few seconds until Etsuko gently ushered him upward, obviously shocked by the gesture.   
  
"I may not understand fully why things had to happen that way, but I want you to know that there's nothing else I would like to happen right now but to clear the air between us and rebuild your relationship with your son. This is because I was there, beside him, when he was hurt and having a hard time dealing with the situation. It hurt me to see him angry and blaming himself. I was there when he would desperately call out your names occasionally when he slept. We now have a family of our own, but it would mean so much to me if you will continue to be a part of that family, too." Shiro said, his head bowing at the last part. 

And Kazuo broke down at that. His guilt overwhelmed him, emotions laid bare for the man in front of him. He loves Keith immensely and for a stranger to come and make him realize how much he'd hurt his son, felt like a stab in the chest. He was scared, but it was no excuse to push away someone he loved and cared for. Etsuko bent down to hug him, a silent reassurance that he will be forgiven, and a gesture of gratitude for realizing his mistake. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, and this time, it was him who bowed towards Shiro.   
  
"Son, forgive me," his voice cracked. "Forgive me."   
  
And he was met with strong arms around him, hands patting his back.   
  
"Thank you, Dad." Shiro said with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time because I want Shiro and Keith to meet already!


	6. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro comes home for the holidays.

The setting sun did nothing but accentuate the reality that things end, in order to bring a new beginning.  Shiro looked up to the sky and noticed the dwindling light from the sun as it appears to slowly dip into the earth, allowing the moon to take over the darkened land. It was no different every day however, but tonight was rather special. He had been waiting eight months and twenty days for this. He wanted the moon to shine and the stars to dance in the sky this night, because it meant that once the performance is done, he’ll be setting out to go home, to where his love is. It was a cold December night, and while snow wasn’t as ubiquitous in Japan as it is in New York, he nursed a coffee cup in his gloved hands, breathing in the steam as it slowly warms up his insides. He continued to walk home, proud to have finished work at a relatively early time, considering that it was a Friday – the busiest day in the office. After all, he still had plenty to do to prepare for his departure tomorrow.

It had been two months since Shiro met with Keith’s parents, and had continued to keep in touch with them through calls and the occasional personal visits. And while travelling from Tokyo to Osaka wasn’t such a daunting task, it still meant that he has to put off work in order to make time for the visits. Keith’s parents had been nothing short of welcoming, and he felt grateful to have been able to understand them better. Now he wishes Keith would be able to do the same.

Upon reaching home, Shiro turned the keys in the lock and opened the door to a dark and quiet apartment. He only had the bare necessities in the place, seeing as it only served as a place for him to shower and sleep. He put his shoes on the boot rack, being careful not to spread the building mud on the soles around his foyer. He loosened his tie and sat in the sofa with a grunt, the energy he had left, slowly waning into exhaustion. He never bothered to turn the lights on.

After a few minutes of deep breathing and almost falling into sleep, he straightened himself and grabbed his phone. He then dialed Keith’s number.

“Hello!” A cheerful voice answered the call. “This is the Shirogane residence!” This was followed by a muffled _‘Who is it, Hunk?’_ in the background. The sound of hustling and bustling in the kitchen can be heard, typical on weekday mornings at the Shirogane’s. Shiro guessed they were still in the midst of making breakfast. Possibly pancakes, maybe Keith’s poor attempt at _omurice_.

“Hey, bud. It’s Daddy. Where’s Papa? Can I talk to him?” Shiro smiled, his voice gentle and calm.

“It’s Daddy! Hi, Daddy Shiro! We’re having breakfast right now,” Hunk said, both meant for Shiro and the family. He was in the process of handing the phone to Keith.

Keith pulled off his apron and turned the stove off, sliding three slices of bacon onto Lance’s plate. “Is it Daddy? Let me talk to him?”

“Hey, it’s me,” Shiro said.

“I know,” Keith returned. “What’s the matter? Are you still at work?”

Shiro closed his eyes and listened to Keith’s voice, immersing himself with every word. After visiting the Kogane’s, Shiro vowed to keep up communication with his family. Whenever he can, he would call Keith, which seemed to dissipate any worries the latter had. He knew he was worrying Keith and causing him stress by not talking to him, but there are certain things Shiro want to say in person.

“No, I’m home. Got the night off early. I have plans tomorrow.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. He settled onto the seat in the kitchen table, while the three kids are fighting over who gets the last glass of chocolate milk. “What _plans_?”

“I’m coming home.”

Keith paused; he was startled by the announcement, especially since the contract Shiro had was for a year. He took a sip of his coffee.

“It this… serious? Did Allura fire you? What’s going on?”

Shiro let out a laugh, finding Keith’s doubtful nature amusing at times. “No, she didn’t. She granted me a three-week vacation over Christmas. And I miss you and the kids, and so I decided to come home."

“Huh,” Keith still seemed doubtful, “So you’re coming home. When?”

“Didn’t I tell you already? I leave tomorrow.” Shiro laughed again.

“ _Tomorrow?_ ” Keith’s voice rose an octave higher, startling the kids. Pidge took this opportunity to grab the chocolate milk while her brothers were distracted. “Wait, isn’t this too sudden? I-I haven’t prepared for anything, like, I haven’t brought groceries, haven’t washed cleaned the house thoroughly, I haven’t–” Keith rattled, panic in his voice evident.

“Baby, relax,” Shiro cooed, sensing that Keith was taking this far too seriously. But he does admit to himself that he missed his husband’s nervous behaviour. He wished he was there with him, so that he can hug him tight and stroke his fingers through Keith’s mullet in an effort to calm him down. “I think you’re forgetting that I’m not a _guest_. I live there. If it’s messy, that’s fine. You don’t have to go through so much effort for me coming home, you know.”

Keith deflated, disappointed and slightly embarrassed by his reaction. “I know. But still. You could have called a couple days in advance, not catch me off-guard like this. The kids are going to be ecstatic.”

“I only booked my flight yesterday, actually. And besides, I have another thing planned so you don’t have to clean the house that much,” Shiro yawned. “Anyway, baby, I’m kinda tired now. I also have to finish packing up. I’ll text you the details of my flight.”

“Okay. See you soon. I’ll tell the kids.”

“Sure. Love you. _I can’t wait to see you_.”

\-------------------------

 

“Is Daddy _really_ coming home today?” Lance excitedly asked, almost jumping up his seat. Keith was grateful he had his seatbelt on. “I’m so excited! I want to see him already!” 

“Lance, don’t jump in your seat, we are in a moving car,” Keith looked at him from the rear-view mirror. He was trying to be serious but couldn’t help the grin that crept up. He was definitely excited, too. He was not able to sleep much, as he tried to tidy up the house as much as he could. The three kids even pitched in and helped him make the house presentable. Pidge and Hunk even drew a ‘Welcome Home, Daddy Shiro’ banner, while Lance made some extra special pancakes (with Keith’s help, of course) as a way to welcome Shiro home.

All four were feeling giddy as they stepped out of the car and proceeded to wait inside the airport’s arrivals section. Keith was carrying Pidge, while Hunk and Lance were sitting on a luggage trolley. Their eyes scanned the place, searching for Shiro.

Keith looked at his watch: 11:45am. Shiro said he’d be arriving around 11:30am. Keith knew it would take time to get off the plane and collect luggage, so he continued to wait. About fifteen minutes passed and Shiro was still nowhere to be found.

“Papa, what’s taking him so long?” Pidge asked, now sitting with her brothers on the luggage trolley. “We’ve been waiting _forever_!”

Keith chuckled. “ _Patience_ , honey. He’ll be here soon.” He gave her hair a quick ruffle, earning a muffled ‘ _hmpf_ ’ from Pidge.

Keith’s eyes continued to scan the room, taking notice of the people coming in and out of the terminals. He was starting to get impatient, too, but knew it was futile to do so. He tapped his foot on the floor a few times, and his hands were now crossed in front of his chest.

He then felt a light tap on his shoulder, and upon turning around, he saw Shiro. Shiro was wearing a black casual trench coat, his carry-on luggage parked beside him. When Keith turned around, he enveloped him in a tight hug.

“You’re here,” Keith breathed, his face buried in Shiro’s neck. “You’re finally here.”

“I’m home, baby,” Shiro said, releasing Keith and giving him a light peck on the lips. “I missed you so much.”

“Daddy!” All three kids jumped up from the trolley and ran up to Shiro and Keith, joining them in a big group hug.

Shiro felt himself lose balance for a bit, then went on his knees to give each of his children a warm hug. “I missed you all so much! Have you been good? I hope you didn’t give your Papa Keith any trouble while I was gone.”

Pidge was the first one to answer. “Ask Lance, he’s the one who always makes Papa mad.”

“I do not! Pidge, shut up!” Lance desperately clung on to Shiro.

Both Keith and Shiro laughed. “Okay, that’s enough. Nobody gave me a hard time. If anybody did, that would be _you_ , Takashi.” Keith pointed at Shiro, eyebrows raised, but a smile on his lips.

Shiro smiled at Keith, knowing that his husband was only teasing him. “Okay, fine, I’ll make it up to you. I promise. If you want, later tonight, I’d be willing to…”

“Okay, okay, this is not a conversation that we should be having here,” Keith cut Shiro off, warmth starting to fill his cheeks as he began to blush. Shiro laughed again, and Keith wondered how he survived the past few months without hearing that laugh for so long.

\---------

 

The Shirogane family spent the whole day catching up on each other and going sight-seeing around the city. There weren’t many places that they haven’t been to yet, but they were able to visit their favorite spots and reminisce with the kids. After a whole day of running around and eating, the kids settled on the back seat of the car, sleeping on the ride home. The sun had started to set.

Upon reaching home, the three kids again had a sudden burst of energy when they heard that their dads are going to open Shiro’s luggage. They were absolutely excited about the unique Japanese snacks and 100-Yen items that Shiro found to be amusing. Keith however, took a look at a random stationery set and _onigiri_ mold, and figured that the kids will have fun for a few days then forget about these items afterward. But he indulged Shiro’s taste in presents and didn’t say anything. Shiro looked like he was having fun explaining to the kids what the items are for.

After the kids had gotten back to bed, both Shiro and Keith decided to take a bath to relax and prepare for bed. It was Keith’s idea, and Shiro was surprised at the sudden boldness because Keith rarely initiated anything. It was mostly due to his shy nature when it comes to _that_ , although the opposite can be said when Keith needs to initiate fights to protect his family. While both were in the tub soaking, Keith leaned on Shiro’s chest, his back towards him.

“Hey,” Keith started. “Uhm, thank you for coming home to me.”

Shiro felt Keith’s body become warmer, red beginning to color Keith’s body from his earlobes down to his neck. Keith had his face bent down, hidden from Shiro’s sight.

Shiro leaned forward and kissed the back of Keith’s neck, eliciting a shudder upon contact. He wrapped his arms around Keith and pulled him closer.

“There’s nowhere else I would come home to. _You_ are my home. Keith, I missed you. I missed _this_.” He sighed, hugging Keith closer. He could feel Keith’s arms slowly wrapping around his own, drawing circles on the skin it crawled on. “I’m sorry for all the times I seemed distant. I didn’t realize how much it worried you.” He swept Keith’s wet hair to the side and kissed him from his neck down to the tip of his shoulder.

Keith’s hands found Shiro’s, and he gave them a light squeeze. It was a silent gesture, but spoke volumes as he let go of his insecurities and put all his trust onto Shiro’s love for him. He lifeted his head and leaned against Shiro’s shoulder, tilting his head to the side a bit and closed his eyes. Shiro knew what this gesture meant, so he leaned in and pressed his lips on Keith’s.

Shiro started with quick, light kisses, and eventually shifted his body so he can give Keith a deeper kiss. His tongue darted forward, licking Keith’s bottom lip until it started to give in and allowed his tongue to enter. Tongues danced and moved around each other, while Shiro cupped Keith’s jaw and pulling him closer. The smaller man turned his body around and wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck, the movements of their bodies creating sloshing sounds with the water that echoed across the room.

The kiss ended with a gasp from Keith as he tried to catch his breath. Shiro’s eyes were searching his face, hungry and desperate, breath ragged from the contact. Keith pulled him closer, and kissed the skin right beside his ear, “ _Bed_. I hate how my voice echoes in this room."

And that was Shiro’s cue to stand up and carry Keith to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (not beta'd)
> 
> Cliffhanger again, so sorry. 
> 
> I just wanted to dedicate a whole chapter to domestic Sheith NSFW stuff (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧ That's all Chapter 7 is going to be.
> 
> Spoiler alert: Shiro's whole three-week vacation won't be spent in the Shirogane household. Guess where the family's going to?


End file.
